It doesn’t seem right but it is almost time to start thinking about Christmas shopping. My older son is already hinting at the things he would like to see Santa Claus bring him. He is asking me to look at this magazine he gets which features all sorts of kits for building robots, rc helicopters, and other cool toys. His interests over the years have stayed pretty consistent when it comes to Christmas gifts which make him easy to shop for. I am finding it interesting that this year he is asking me to look at the magazine rather than write a note for Santa. I haven’t come out and asked him directly but I am starting to believe he is realizing that Santa may not actually bring the toys.

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I am sitting here typing with the top button on my pants undone. The reason is because I am finding my pants no longer fit. The truth is I have gained quite a bit of weight in the last year. I really need my wife to stop baking her delicious treats because for some reason I can no longer eat like I used to be able to eat. Instead of sitting here typing about my snug pants maybe I should be looking up diet pill reviews or something because I know she is never going to stop baking. Baking is her way of relaxing and asking her to stop would be like asking a smoker to quit cold turkey. The reality is I need to get off my butt and start moving more.

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Tomorrow we are going to empty out the storage unit we rented last spring. This is the final part of our move to our new house. I am taking the day off because the unit we rented is only open weird hours. I guess this is why it was so cheap. Most of the stuff we have to move is pretty easy to handle. I am not however looking forward to moving the dressers, treadmill, and books we have there. These are the heaviest things and I am pretty much going to have to heave them around myself unless I can round up some free arms which is going to be tough on a weekday between 9am and 5 pm. Again a reason why the cheap price should have made me think twice about renting this unit.

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This is the first year we are home schooling our older son. For the most part things are going pretty well. It has really opened my eyes to just how bright our son is. It is also opened my eyes to how the public school system has failed him. For example the child can spell anything and I do mean anything. If you asked him to spell Leptovox I have no doubt he could do it. On the other hand his handwriting is terrible and he reports that teachers have consistently allowed him to write with either hand. How on earth does this get past 4 different teachers? We have consistently been told how bad his writing is and now I can see why. You just can’t learn to write well when you are writing with both hands.

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The feeling has been lingering in my mind that I never seems to get a break. It seems like I think I am caught up with my work at my job and then I come home and there is even more to do. Just when I finish the work at one house we buy a new one that needs projects completed. This is probably the reason I am being attacked by acne and the munchies. It seems like I never get a second to sit down and relax! Every chance I get I seem to snacking and this is all adding up to greasy and gross skin. I need a VACATION!

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Last night it was funny but both my wife and I came to the realization we no longer had the “fever”. By the “fever” I am referring to that feeling you have when you want to have more children. This isn’t really and option for us anymore but it was nice to realize we are both comfortable with our family just the way it is. Our good friends are about to have their fourth child. Typically, I must admit I have always felt a pain of jealousy when someone has a new baby. I think this is more because having kids for us was a gigantic accomplishment and for other people it just comes so easily. It is really nice to be in that place where our family feels just right. More children only makes me think of the future and how will we every pay for college, find cheap auto insurance, or pay for weddings? I would much rather worry about paying for two kids in this economy than a gaggle of them.

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Halloween is just around the corner. This year I am actually looking forward to it because we live in such a great neighborhood. I am seriously considering now just taking my kids out and about on Halloween night but getting myself one of those cool grownup Halloween costumes. It would be fun to dress up and see the look on my kids faces since I never really do this type of stuff. Any suggestions for what I should dress up as that won’t scare the little ones would be appreciated. I am kind of out of my realm of expertise when it comes to playing dress up.

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Today I put up a new ceiling fan in our kitchen. I really should have known when I bought it that it wasn’t going to put out the type of light I was looking for. It takes one of those candelabra light bulbs. At night it might as well be a night light rather than a ceiling light. What I really need is something that puts out light along the lines of what led light bulbs are capable of. The kitchen is very dark right now because of the dark cabinetry and lack of adequate lighting and this ceiling fan just isn’t going to cut it. At least it does blow the air around.

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